At least six people and five police personnel sustained injuries on Tuesday when police intervened in a protest against a transport syndicate organized by locals of Arughat VDC in the Gorkha district. Locals were protesting against the cartel imposed by the Gorkha Transport Entrepreneurs Association in the rural areas of the district. Locals organized a protest in front of the Area Police Office (APO), Arughat, demanding action against the Gorkha Transport Entrepreneurs Association for vandalizing a bus of Arughat Transport Pvt Ltd at Phinam VDC two weeks ago. They also demanded that there should be such an environment in which drivers can drive without fear of the cartel system. Earlier, Police arrested some members of the Gorkha Transport Entrepreneurs Association when they arrived in Arughat to obstruct the operation of buses belonging to Arughat Transport. Tuesday's protest, organized by the locals, ensued after the police decided to release them without taking any action. Police said six shells of tear gas were fired to disperse the mob. The agitators managed to break six windows of the APO and also vandalized two police vans. The situation came under control only after police assured the locals that the entrepreneurs and youths associated with Gorkha Transport Entrepreneurs Association, who was arrested earlier, would continue serving jail terms. Among the injured locals are Setu Gurung, Siddhi Kumar Shrestha, Satan Kumar Shrestha, Ganesh Lamichhane, Sunita Nepali, and Rabindra Nepali. They have sustained deep injuries in their face and various parts of the body. Likewise, head constable Dinanath Chaudhary, Shiva Shankar Gupta, constable Yan Bahadur Baram, Subash Pandey, and Arjun Chaudhary were also injured during the clash, according to Rabiraj Thapaliya, chief of the APO. Buddhi Bahadur Khadka, a local who also participated in the protest, claimed that the administration itself has encouraged transport cartels. "We have not been able to work without fear. Why aren't we able to drive our bus even after following all the rules set by the government? Stern action should be taken against those imposing cartel systems," he said. Meanwhile, Khadka Bahadur Gale, chairman of Arughat Transport, has claimed that the cartel system in the district is backed by local politicians affiliated with big parties including Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, and UCPN (Maoists). Over 50 police personnel were deployed in various places since Sunday in anticipation of clashes between Gorkha Transport and Arughat Transport. More than 150 vehicles of Gorkha Transport are in operation in various rural areas of the district. Gorkha Transport has imposed the cartel system and does not allow vehicles from other associations to operate in those areas. However, the local administration has failed to provide security against such activities.